Identification system



Jan. 3, 1933. R H, CASSWELL 1,893,225

IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 16, 1951 f6 I 3 V594/ CfmsrvL/ L @Hoz @cj f gnou-mio@ Patented Jan. 3,1933

UNITED STATES RICHARD H.

ASSWELL, F PORTLAND, OREGON; JULIA H. IBIRKENBEUEL, ADMINIS- TBATBIX OF SAID RICHARD H; CASSW'ELL, DCEASED y DENTIFICATIQN SYSTEM Appunti@ mea Februaryi'e, 1931. semi No. 516,067.

This invention relates generally to the protection of automobiles from theft and unauthorized use, and'particularly to a system of identification of the automobile and its owner and driver.

, The first object of the invention is to furnish complete identification for an automobile, its licensee and driver.

The second object is to render the stealing of an automobile an offence carrying additional penalty, since it involves the breaking or mutllating of a state seal. l

The third object is to attach to the automobile a seal embossed photograph of the owner bearing identifying information for the car, as well as the signature of the licensee.

The fourth object is to provide a duplicate photograph of the licensee, also seal embossed, with information duplicating that given on the card which is attached to the car.

The lifth object is to provide a drivers license which, besides bearing the usual information, also carries the drivers photograph and identifies the car or cars he is authorized to drive.

These, and other objects, will become more a parent from the specification following as il ustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the portion of the device. which is attached to the car. Figure 2 is a, section taken along the line 2--2 in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a front elevation of that portion of the device which is carried in the pocket of the car owner or licensee. Figure 4 is a plan of Fi re 3. Figure 5 is a front elevation of a dilivers card. Figure 6 is a plan of Figure 5.

Similar viumbers of reference refer to the same arts throughout the several views.

Re erring in detail to the drawing, :the first portion of this system which is to be described is that part which will be referred to as the car card. This card is preferably mounted on the instrument board 10 and includes a holder 11, preferably of aluminum, havin inturned side edges 12 and the upturne bottom edge 13. The holder 11 is provided with screws 14 by means of which the holder is secured to the instrument board. A plurality of holes 15 inthe back of the holder 11 are used to locate and drill corresponding holes 16 in the instrument board 10.

The applicant for a license is photographed and a print thereof is mounted on a card 17 which fits in the holder 11. The photograph 18 is now embossed with an oiiicial seal 19. Beneath the photograph 18 and on the card 17 is recorded the make of the car 20, the license number 21,y factory number 22, engine number 23 and the signature 24 of the licensee.

The card is now placed in the holder 11 and a sealing wire, tape or cord 25 is threaded through the card and through the metal holder and also through the holes 16 in the instrument board 10, and has its ends joined by an otiicial seal 26, preferably of metal. A celluloid transparency 27 is now slipped into the card holder over the card 17 and the metal seal 26.

Pocket card for licensee A complete duplicate of the card 17, with its information relative to the car and the seal embossed photograph, but without the metal seal 26, is furnished the licensee of a car and must be carried by him. This is preferably tected by a transparency 29, although this is not essential.

Dm'fvers license card The card 30 is similar to the drivers license card now in use, butin addition thereto also carries a seal embossed photograph 31 of the driver himself andinformation identifying the car he is authorized to drive. This photograph 31 may be on the back of the usual drivers license card 30, or space may be provided therefor on the front side thereof, as seems most convenient. If used by a chauffeur the card must bear data identifying the car he is authorized to drive, and this information must be correspondingly changedwhen he changes his position, or if for any reason it becomes incomplete or incorrect. If

`mounted in a leather folder 28 and is prohe is authorized to drive more than one car, this fact must b e noted on Ithe card.

In practice the system operates as follows: When applying for a license for an automobile the prospective licensee is photographed and his picture, with the above-mentioned information recorded thereon, is attached to the car, under seal, which must be broken to affect its removal or exchange. The breaking of the seal is of itself an offence which carries a severe penalty in addition to that imposed for stealing a car.

The card on the instrument board is always in plain sight. If the picture on the instrument board does not correspond with the face of the driver, any traiiic olcer has the right to demand a showing of the drivers pocket card. If this card does not show the drivers authority for driving thecar, further proof licensee of said car on the face of said card; and identifying information printed on said card together with a seal joining the ends of a wire passing through said card holder, said card and a portion of the ear; and a transparent covering over said card.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a permanent portion of an automobile such as the instrument board, of 'a card positioned on saidportion and containing identifying data, means passing a plurality of times thru said permanent portion and thru said card with the free ends of said means in front of the card, and a seal permanently securing together the free ends of the means in order to prevent removal of the card from the automobile. I

RICHARD I-I. CASSWELL.

can be required such as a written order bearing the owners signature, which must cor/ respond with the one on the car card.

If the party using the car without authority removes the rightful owners card or attempts to substitute his own picture, he is face to face with the ditculty of breaking and restoring the seal. Even if this is done, the data thereon will not compare with the factory and engine number.

While there are an almost unlimited number of ways in which attempts may be made to foil this system, it can easily be seen that all will revert to the breaking of the official seal and the destroying of the conformity between the data on the car and cards and the similarity between the licensees face and the photograph on the card, or between his signature and the signature on the card on the car.

Let us take, for instance, the case of a contractor having a car which any one of a dozen men might be required to drive. Each man whom the contractor desires to give permission to drive his car naturally must have a drivers license and, in addition thereto, if the right is only temporary, he is furnished with a letter or note stating this fact and the date on which this privilege shall terminate.

By limiting the duration of authority to drive a given car, the danger of this authority remaining in the hands of undesirable people is eliminted.

I am aware that many forms of systems and devices have been constructed in the past purporting to accomplish the objects above enumerated, I therefore do not intend to cover this device broadly, but I do intend to cover all such forms and modifications as fall fairly within the appended claims.

1. In an authomobile identification system, the combination of a card holder arranged to be secured to the instrument board of an automobile; a card adapted to be held by said holder; a sealembossed photograph of the 

